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Volume 3: Stormy France Chapter 144: Sovereignty

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    Chapter 144: Sovereignty

    Bai Zhou suddenly realized that he had underestimated Joan a little too much. Strictly speaking, had he never really understood her?

    Although this true national hero of France is just a girl in her early twenties, she is by no means a weak woman who can be manipulated by others.

    She has her own beliefs, and they are very firm beliefs

    Originally, Bai Zhou thought that as long as the fig leaf of the French royal family was lifted and their ugly faces were revealed in front of Joan of Arc, she would be helpless and obey Bai Zhou's arrangements relatively honestly. After all, if she was originally captured by Burgundy  If she, who was captured for the first time, still had great hopes for the royal family, then she should know now that in this world, apart from Xi Qin, there is no place in the world for her to go.

    She needs Xi Qin, and Xi Qin also needs her. This is a matter of mutual benefit, so Bai Zhou never thought that she would be the one to oppose this proposal.

    "Duke, it seems that the most important person does not agree with your opinion." The one who spoke was Richard who had been silent just now. Originally, he didn't know what the relationship between Xi Qin and Joan of Arc was, but now it seems that everything  Everyone knows that Joan of Arc who was rescued does not seem to blindly follow the Western Qin people. This is very good news for England.

    It is true that as a true knight, Richard admires Joan of Arc, this legendary woman, and also admires the Western Qin, a weak nation that can create miracles many times. However, his identity determines it, and he does not want to see the two of them.  It's a miracle, so perfectly united.

    Bai Zhou looked at Jeanne, and Jeanne also looked at Bai Zhou. For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire venue became a little subtle. Everyone had different ideas, but no one would speak first.

    "Okay," Bai Zhou withdrew his gaze as if showing some weakness, and compared his strength with a staunch believer. He was still a little too immature, but sometimes negotiation requires skills: "In this way, since Joan of Arc  If you don¡¯t want to, then I can¡¯t force it, but we can¡¯t leave the southern part of Burgundy to Philip.¡±

    Seeking common ground while reserving differences, now Bai Zhou is looking for an entry point that is in line with the common interests of the three parties, or an entry point that is not in line with the interests of the three parties.

    "Of course not," Miller said, "I don't think the Duke of Normandy would agree."

    "Indeed, in a country like this that likes treachery, we shouldn't keep him there," Richard said.

    Burgundy, England, and France are just like Wei, Shu, and Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, and Burgundy is the balance of power between Wei and Shu. When the Eastern Wu and Shu Han swallowed Hanzhong in the north, Guan Yu flooded the Seventh Army, took Xiangfan in the east, and the Central Plains was shaken,  Soochow gave Shu Han a big stick behind his back, and then quickly united with Shu Han to reject Cao Wei in the north.

    Sun Quan surrendered to Cao and rebelled against Cao, allied with Liu and betrayed Liu throughout his life. This has nothing to do with morality, it is just a political method

    Burgundy's approach was very similar to that of Soochow. It originally united with England and defeated France. If it hadn't been for the emergence of Joan of Arc, history might have been rewritten. But then, Burgundy discovered that England was powerful.  After threatening its own safety, it decisively gave up on the other party and signed a peace agreement with the French royal family.

    Although it is indeed irrelevant to morality, if Richard said this, other people present would naturally not tell the truth.

    "Well, since everyone thinks it would be better to completely eliminate Burgundy, what England wants is the north. I believe you are also powerless to deal with the southern region." Bai Zhou looked at Richard, the handsome crown prince. Now  show a thoughtful expression

    "That's it." Richard told the truth. After all, territory expansion in reality is not as simple as in the game. If you have a big appetite, you will only suffer from indigestion. What's more, if you are greedy, another big country on the side will  What would be the idea?

    ¡°What about the Holy Roman Empire?¡±

    "We don't have much interest." Although Limbaugh and Raydale were a little too small for "", it really suited their current situation. Because, have you ever seen a cheetah on the grassland that would change when chasing an antelope?  Goal?  Even if there is another antelope, it is just on the roadside as it gallops past

    Originally, Bai Zhou didn't quite understand how the Holy Roman Empire planned to deal with Burgundy, but from Miller's previous words, Bai Zhou could tell that it wasn't that Frederick's appetite suddenly became smaller, but that he didn't want to do anything.  A cheetah that gave up halfway. That¡¯s why Bai Zhou deliberately asked the Holy Roman Empire¡¯s attitude towards southern Burgundy.

    Because their answers are exactly what Bai Zhou needs

    "I'm sorry, we in Western Qin are not interested either." Bai Zhou paused and seemed to be thinking of another way: "In that case, should we include the French?"

    ¡°No¡± England doesn¡¯t wantA powerful France appears

    "I don't agree either" In the same way, the Holy Roman Empire likes a weak neighbor

    Bai Zhou quietly waited for the two forces to express their attitudes. Of course, it was not that Bai Zhou needed the attitudes of the two countries, but that he wanted Joan to understand that only she could solve this knot.

    Richard and Miller are both smart people. If they didn't realize what Xi Qin was paying attention to when Bai Zhou proposed the "bad idea" at first, but now, they both fully understand it, so their  His eyes also focused on Joan of Arc.

    Bai Zhou doesn¡¯t know if there is such a thing as aura in this world, but now he knows that facing the pressure brought by these two looks is not something ordinary people can bear.

    This stubborn woman raised her proud head and looked directly at everyone. There was no twinkle in her dark green pupils, only determination: "For France, I am fearless and what you are doing is making me betray France. This  ,impossible"

    After saying that, Joan of Arc stood up, her straight body like a sharp sword that would not bend, standing here, "If your next words are still about how to dismember my motherland, then please forgive me for not being able to wait.  It¡¯s here¡±

    Then, turn around and leave without stopping, just with a breeze

    Although Burgundy has established a principality outside of France, and the two are at war with each other, it is undeniable that the land of Burgundy belongs to France, and the people on the land also live in the same country.  bloodline

    There was a moment of silence in the venue, and Miller couldn't help but look elsewhere. Richard's eyes changed to admiration. There are many people who have faith, but under any circumstances, there are not many people who are firm in their faith.

    Only the attendant beside him cursed in a low voice: "This stupid woman"

    A woman who cannot be controlled by a man will be a troublesome woman

    Bai Zhou began to understand the meaning of this sentence.

    But it is obvious that now is not the time to ponder the meaning of this sentence. Bai Zhou cannot continue to shelve the subsequent issues because of Joan's opposition, although the remaining issues are not a problem at all compared to Joan's opposition.

    ?¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Under the premise that Bai Zhou could convince Joan of Arc to accept everyone's proposal, England and the Holy Roman Empire stated that they could inform the French royal family in writing that Joan of Arc must be appointed as the duchess of the Principality of Burgundy. Of course, the land area of ??the Principality of Burgundy  It was just the southern part of the original Duchy of Burgundy, the northern part was owned by the English, and the small enclave in the middle belonged to the Holy Roman Empire.

    This is a naked insult, no different from a slap in the face, but the situation is stronger than the person. Even if the French are not afraid of the threat of the English, who have already become their enemies, there is now another Holy Roman Empire, King Charles VII of France.  , you need to weigh it carefully.

    Fortunately, this insult was not too complete, and it left some face for the King of France. Although Joan of Arc had already broken up with the royal family, she was also a pure French, and she had great military achievements. In name, let  She succeeded the Duke of Burgundy, which is barely reasonable

    I think the French King will still choose to compromise. As for how he will treat Joan of Arc in the future and how to make up for the bottomless rift between them, it is not what Bai Zhou needs to consider. Moreover, in Bai Zhou's heart, this rift  , it¡¯s better not to make up for it.

    Leaving the camp and bidding farewell to Miller and Richard, Bai Zhou went straight to Joan of Arc's residence.

    Fiora was also here, so what Bai Zhou was about to say, he swallowed back for some reason.

    "Do you men only make things difficult for women?" Fiora said quietly, "Bai Zhou, I know there is a reason for you to do this. I shouldn't have said anything, but Joan of Arc  Some things cannot be forced after all.¡±

    "Fiora, you go out first. There are some things I want to ask him face to face." Joan pulled Fiora, who wanted to say something else, and said

    "Okay," Fiora patted Joan's head lovingly, really like a sister caring for her sister. Then, unexpectedly, Fiora's expression changed, her eyebrows raised, and she looked at Bai Zhou:  "You can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do, do you understand?"

    It¡¯s like acting coquettishly. But then again, what kind of coquettishness is this? If Joan of Arc is determined not to do so, no one can force her to do so.

    Bai Zhou cupped his hands and made a gesture of invitation to Fiora before sending the young lady out.

    "Did you plan for today when you rescued me?" Before Bai Zhou could recover from the look in Fiora's eyes just now, he heard Joan of Arc asking.

    "I'm not God, how can I?Possible to foresee today's outcome?  Bai Zhou spread his hands and said, "I'm sorry today. I didn't take your feelings into consideration. Mainly I think that the royal family"

    "The royal family is the royal family, and France is France. I will never betray France because the royal family betrays me," Joan of Arc said categorically, leaving no room for error.

    "I think you have misunderstood. We did not ask you to betray France. On the contrary, after you took over as the Duke of Burgundy"

    "Needless to say," Joan of Arc interrupted Bai Zhou again, "What you mean is that I understand very well that the land that originally belonged to Burgundy should be completely divided up, but you want me to come forward and be an accomplice to split my motherland.  , I will tell you once again to serve your Xi Qin, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    "I think you have mistaken the key to this problem." Bai Zhou became a little angry. Whoever it was, he was interrupted again and again, and his mood was not very smooth: "Then tell me, what if  If you don¡¯t succeed the Duke of Burgundy, who will you replace him with?¡±

    "You have no one available at all" Joan of Arc said coldly, giving an answer that seemed to be the truth. Because of this tripartite negotiation, Jeanne of Arc's succession seemed to be the result of a compromise.

    "You stupid woman, do you really think that the English are not capable of swallowing up all the land in Burgundy? Or is it that the Holy Roman Empire does not have this capability? They are just worried about each other, and you, both of them can do it for now.  Accept the choice. Do you really think that without you, they will not carve up Burgundy?" Bai Zhou's tone gradually became stern: "With the remaining armed forces of Burgundy, let alone their two big countries, it is our Western Qin.  , there is no problem in eating it. Burgundy¡¯s fate of becoming history is irreversible. Do you really want all their lands to never belong to France again?¡±

    To be fair, it is in the best interest of the Western Qin people to let Joan of Arc succeed the Duke of Burgundy. However, this proposal is not a bad thing for Joan of Arc itself.

    "what do you mean?"

    "If Burgundy is occupied by either of us, do you think there is any other way for your motherland to take back its homeland besides war? But if you are the Duke of Burgundy, even if it is for us in the West, as you said,  Qin Fuxing is the puppet of our Western Qin, but in name, this place still belongs to you, France. One day, you will take it back." Bai Zhou suddenly found that he could say this so confidently, which was a bit  Unbelievable

    "No, no matter what you say, this is splitting my motherland. Even if I can't stop you personally, I will never choose to join you." Joan of Arc is a stubborn person, or in other words, she can still hear clearly.  The essence of Bai Zhou's words: It is impossible for Joan of Arc to accept being the puppet of our Western Qin.

    Bai Zhou sighed, this stubborn woman

    If Joan chooses to take a step back at this time, then Bai Zhou will take a step forward until Joan has no way to retreat. However, Joan always sticks to her bottom line and never takes a step back.

    "Is such a decadent royal family worthy of your loyalty?" Bai Zhou asked

    "My allegiance is to my motherland and my nation, not just the royal family," Joan of Arc replied

    "Okay," Bai Zhou thought for a while and then said: "But, do you think that if those two countries completely share Burgundy, will your motherland still have hope of coming back?"

    "I will use the sword in my hand to fight for my motherland"

    "Stop, stop," Bai Zhou found that he also had the opportunity to interrupt Joan of Arc. "Your royal family is eager to kill you with their own hands. Under this premise, do you think you will have a chance to serve the motherland?"

    ""

    "No, I tell you, no, you will never have the chance to lead an army again." Bai Zhou no longer minds uncovering Joan's scars, "The royal family you are loyal to is eager to kill you and then be quick, even though you keep saying,  You are not only loyal to that shameless and despicable royal family, but now it is only the royal family that represents the country and nation of France, so you are still loyal to the royal family that wants to kill you."

    ""

    ""

    It was relatively speechless for a long time. During this period, Mi Chuan, who was the commander of Baizhou's bodyguard, even came in once because it was too quiet inside.

    "I agree to be the Duke, but I have conditions." Quietly, Joan of Arc said these words. As for whether she was compromising or had other ideas, Bai Zhou didn't know, but no matter what, it was always  a good sign

    "Please say"

    "I demand that Burgundy will be a completely independent principality. This independence is not only for France, but importantly, for your Western Qin, even England or the Holy Roman Empire." From Joan of Arc  Speaking of my feelings,??She does not want Burgundy to annex France, but for other forces, that is the most basic requirement, so Joan of Arc can only settle for the second best, demanding ** and Western Qin.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Bai Zhou agreed. After all, his original demand for the Burgundy territory was not that strong.

    "Secondly, I know that you want to control Burgundy by controlling some nobles in the original Duchy of Burgundy. Therefore, the Western Qin people are not allowed to participate in this march to southern Burgundy."

    Only with garrison can one have the right to speak, which means that Joan of Arc will not give the Western Qin people a chance to send troops at all, thus further ensuring their independence.

    "It's possible, but I want to know, without the help of our Xi Qin, how can you defeat Philip?"

    "This is my business and I don't need you to worry about it. If possible, I will borrow troops from you, but I don't want soldiers from the Western Qin Dynasty."

    "This" Bai Zhou found that Joan's demands were becoming more and more "excessive", "I think you should know that Burgundy is a defeated country, and we, Western Qin, are the victorious ones. If you ask like this, we will not accept it at all."  Isn¡¯t it appropriate to gain nothing?¡±

    "Ten years of trade rights"

    The trade rights given to the Duke of Burgundy in the Western Qin Dynasty means that within ten years, what the Duke of Burgundy will buy, sell, and how much will be decided by the Western Qin people.  It still belongs to the Principality of Burgundy, but the meaning contained in it is not simply profit.

    This means that within ten years, the iron ore, coal mines, or some luxury goods of the Principality of Burgundy will only be sold to the Western Qin at a relatively low price. As for the Western Qin, it will be kept for its own use.  , or resold to other countries, only the people of Western Qin know.

    For Western Qin, this is what is most needed, and it is also an interest that Western Qin cannot let go of. This barren land in Switzerland lacks almost everything except wood and stone.

    Joan of Arc was a smart person, and she gave Bai Zhou what he wanted most. As for other things such as diplomatic rights, she would naturally not let go of anything, and obviously, Bai Zhou didn't want anything.

    "Fifty years," Bai Zhou said

    "Fifteen years of bargaining, men never seem to be the winners

    "Forty years, plus a free lease of a horse farm to us"

    "Twenty years, the horse farm is fine, but we in Burgundy must have the first right to purchase the horses you raise," Joan of Arc said

    ¡­¡­

    In the end, the two parties reached an agreement with 22 years and seven months of trade rights. Of course, there were also a series of bits and pieces of additional conditions. In short, everyone got what they needed.

    Chapter 144: Sovereignty

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